Personal Narrative Essay: Hardwork And The Basketball Team

My journey on the basketball team Joining anything comes with a struggle, such as fitting in or trying to be the best. Basketball is a prioritized sport in my family. I always knew that as soon as I hit junior high it would be time to fulfill my family’s prophecy of joining a basketball team. I was not too thrilled of the thought at first. I decided to talk to some of my friends to get their view on it.

Definitely my practicing over the summer didn't pay off, but I had to keep playing. The next six practices or so were like the end of the world for me. I was always thinking to myself, “Why did I waste my whole summer practicing for this stupid game.” It got to the point where I wanted to quit the team; and revert to my normal life as a gamer. Me and my parents talked to the coach, and he gave me the answer which I dreamed of hearing from someone since i started. Coach says, “Keep playing son, I know you have the potential and I know you have it in you.” He also says “ That's the main reason I picked you.

Once his team had beat all of the school's in the area they moved on to WOFSA and got 6th place, not bad for a team from the small town of West Lorne. "I love to play, once you start playing you just don't want to stop." He kept playing all the way until he was in grade 10, the first year that there was no basketball team. Although he was disappointed, he still keeps playing every now and then, in our backyard. He will hone his skills more and more and hopes to be on next years basketball team, at W.E.S.S.

I became stressed with 7 hours of school and then 2 hours of basketball practice and then spending all night working on my assignments. I would go to school exhausted and in fear of how much homework I would receive that day. This new school year as a junior, I chose to challenge myself even more with honor classes, leadership, and an AP class. I knew this year would bring upon more challenges then the previous year, since I had never taken an AP class. I decided to give up basketball because it was taking up too much time off my homework which would deprive me from sleep.

When the weekend came around, and all of my friends were going out and having fun, I was in the gym working on my game. I lost so many friends because I was antisocial. I wasn’t antisocial because I was arrogant and thought I was better but I was antisocial because I felt I was never good enough and I always had to work on some part of my game. I knew deep down that the friends I had in high school couldn’t help me get a pro basketball offer. They weren’t going to help my dreams come trust.

Head coach Larry Sahm was particularly distraught. He has never coached a High School team that went on to win sectionals and he truly believed that the last season would be his year. As the practices went on, it became more and more obvious that he really didn’t expect much from his team this year. The practices dragged on through the dead heat of the summer. The team worked hard, eventhough we were well aware that not even their own coach had faith in them.

As the year went on I had more and more offers to play at different universities, but I was not paying attention to any of my mentors when they would tell me that none of these offers meant anything if I didn’t have the grades. I respect my mentors as if they were father figures because they have been where I want to go and have everything that I want, but I was too busy listening to family members who would tell me that I was going pro after my first year of college. As an 18 year old, you believe what your family tells you because you think it is right because they said it. Unfortunately, I found out that this was not always the case. The school year went on, and as others where preparing for the ACT and SAT, I was busy getting in trouble with the law and not going to class.

Larry continued to beat him. So Michael started to work hard so he could beat him. Michael attended Laney High School where he played basketball. He was cut his sophomore year from the varsity team; but he didn’t let it discourage him. He decided that he was going to work hard and make the team next year.

It left me on crutches for two months, and not being able to play basketball all that summer. At first I thought it wouldn't be so bad, getting all the attention and sympathy from everyone. However, after one game I soon realized that I would do just about anything to get rid of those horrible crutches and get back on the court. It was the start of summer 2002, and the Mid America Youth Basketball (MAYB) national tournament was taking place in Andover, Kansas. Along with the rest of the team, I was excited to play some basketball for the first time since the middle school basketball season was over.

1…2…3…4…5. I had to get stronger before the next basketball season at La Puente High School. I was pushing myself hard when it came to lifting weights and running. I thought I could catch up with all the time I missed during the last six weeks of last year. I was out of the end of the season last year from a torn muscle in my hip.